Abstract: An ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment includes a tip part, an operation part, a bending part, and a heat conducting part. The tip part includes transducer elements configured to transmit and receive ultrasound waves, electronic circuitry electrically connected to the transducer elements, and a frame having the electronic circuitry provided thereon. The operation part receives operations from an operator. The bending part includes a cable electrically connected to the electronic circuitry, and changes the orientation of the tip part by bending in accordance with operations performed on the operation part. The heat conducting part includes a unitary component extending from the tip part at least to the bending part, and is in contact with the frame in the tip part and in the close vicinity of the cable in the bending part.

Abstract: An external ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment includes: a transducer array including multiple transducers arranged along an azimuth direction, the multiple transducers transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; and a covering material having a projecting surface touchable with a living body, formed of a single member, covering an entire front surface side of the transducer array, and covering at least a part of a side surface side of the transducer array. In a section dividing a width of the transducer array in the azimuth direction substantially into two equal parts, a width between two points on the projecting surface falling down from a top of the projecting surface by 2 mm is larger than a width of the transducer array in an elevation direction. A difference between the width between the two points and the width of the transducer array in the elevation direction is 5 mm or less.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes piezoelectric elements, a flexible printed circuit, and one of an air gap layer and a resin layer. The piezoelectric elements transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. The flexible printed circuit located on a rear surface side of the piezoelectric elements and electrically connected to the piezoelectric elements. The air gap layer locates on a rear surface side of the flexible printed circuit and has air gaps. The resin layer is obtained by filling the air gap layer with a resin and locates on the rear surface side of the flexible printed circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment includes a group of transducer elements and a plurality of electronic circuits. The group of transducer elements constitutes a main array that is divided into a plurality of sub-arrays, and is two-dimensionally arranged. The electronic circuits are arranged corresponding to the arrangement of the transducer elements constituting the sub-array. At least one of the electronic circuits is a first electronic circuit having a first function. At least one of the electronic circuits is a second electronic circuit having a second function different from the first function.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe according to a present embodiment includes: at least one first transducer functioning as a transducer for excitation for executing excitation by an acoustic radiation pressure in an elastography mode; and second transducers functioning as transducers for detection for detecting a shear wave generated by the excitation in the elastography mode.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic transducer array and a multilayer body for extracting an electric wiring from each electrode. Transducers are classified into at least a first group and a second group. The multilayer body includes a first FPC layer on which the array is stacked and a second FPC layer on which the first FPC layer is stacked. The first FPC layer and the second FPC layer include upper surface connection pads and lower surface electrode pads which maintain a uniform level at positions spatially corresponding to the respective transducers. FPC layers constituting an FPC multilayer body are bonded to each other to be integrally formed in a region corresponding to the width of the array. On the other hand, the respective FPC layers are not bonded to each other and separated from each other outside the region corresponding to the width of the array.

Abstract: A puncture adapter according to the embodiment includes a first pressing part that has a first surface and a second surface serving as a surface opposite to the first surface; a second pressing part that has a third surface; a fixing part that fixes, when a probe body is covered with a cover, the first pressing part and the second pressing part to the probe body with the cover interposed between a cutout surface of a cutout portion of the probe body and the first surface of the first pressing part and with the third surface of the second pressing part brought into contact with the second surface of the first pressing part; and a guide groove that guides a puncture needle, and is formed on at least one of the second surface of the first pressing part and the third surface of the second pressing part.

Abstract: A backing material is provided on the back face side of a piezoelectric transducer, with a first width substantially equal to the piezoelectric transducer widthwise and perpendicular to the radiation direction. A front face of a layer located on the front face side with regard to a wiring pattern has a width substantially equal to the first width. Moreover, the back face of this layer has a second width shorter than the first width. A space is provided between this layer and the backing material due to the difference between the first width and the second width of this layer, and a covering member covering the wiring pattern covers the wiring pattern extending at least from the folded section of the flexible substrate into the space.

Abstract: The ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiments transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject, generates an ultrasound image based on the signals received from the subject, and comprises sub arrays, a main array, an aperture diameter setting part, and a delay pattern setting part. The sub arrays consist of a plurality of ultrasound transducers that are two-dimensionally disposed, and have a fixed delay pattern during a single receiving period. The main array consists of sub arrays. The aperture diameter setting part sets the aperture diameter of the main array. The delay pattern setting part changes the delay pattern for each of the sub arrays depending on the aperture diameter.

Abstract: A puncture adapter includes a main body, a pair of operation parts, a pair of engaging parts, and a pair of connectors. The main body includes a first part having a first width and a second part having a second width that is narrower than the first width. The operation parts come close to each other in response to the removal operation. Each of the engaging parts is integrally formed with either one of the operation parts, and is engageable with an ultrasound probe. Each of the connectors connects one end in the width direction of the second part and a position between one of the operation parts and one of the engaging parts. When the operation parts come close to each other in response to the removal operation, the engaging parts separate from each other to release the engagement.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer includes an electric vibrator including a vibrator contact layer, to transmit and receive ultrasound wave, and a circuit-board including a circuit contact layer connected to the vibrator contact layer, to transmit and receive ultrasound signals via the vibrator contact layer. A maximum width which width is an extent of a shorter side of the circuit contact layer, is same to a width of the electric vibrator. The circuit contact layer includes a bonding area that extends to a surface of a circuit-board and a surface of the vibrator contact layer. An adhesive is provided in the bonding area to adhere the electric vibrator and the circuit-board to each other.

Abstract: A device fixing adaptor according to an embodiment fixes a device disposed at a grip part of an ultrasound probe to the ultrasound probe, by having such a shape that causes the device and a cable connected to the device to be pressed against the grip part from a top face thereof and inhibits the device from shifting a position thereof around the grip part.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe is provided that includes piezoelectric bodies, each of which is provided with electrodes on the front surface on the side from which ultrasound is emitted and a rear surface opposing the front surface. At least a part of the ultrasound probes is disposed in a curved manner. A flexible printed circuit board comprises a first part that is provided in parallel with the curved surface of the piezoelectric bodies in a circular direction on the rear surface side of the piezoelectric bodies, and a second part that extends from the first part near the end part of the arranged piezoelectric bodies and further extends to the electronic circuit, the electric circuit, or the interface. Furthermore, the flexible printed circuit board is provided with a wiring pattern that conducts between at least one electrode of the piezoelectric body and the electronic circuit, the electric circuit, or the interface.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a transmitter/receiver, a signal processor, and an image generator. The transmitter/receiver transmits, at least once in each scanning line, a first ultrasound pulse and a second ultrasound pulse whose amplitude corresponds to amplitude of the first ultrasound pulse modulated at a given ratio and acquires a received-signal group consisting of multiple received signals. The signal processor acquires, on the basis of a coefficient that reduces the energy of a first composite signal that is obtained by combining, in accordance with the given ratio, multiple received signals contained in the first received signal group acquired by the transmitter/receiver, a second composite signal by combining multiple received signals contained in a second received signal group that is acquired by the transmitter/receiver and that is different from the first received signal group. The image generator generates an ultrasound image based on the second composite signal.

Abstract: A generating unit generates a plurality of ultrasonic cross-sectional images at a plurality of angles when an ultrasonic wave emitting surface in an ultrasonic probe is rotated. A regenerating unit saves information on the angle of the ultrasonic wave emitting surface when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and rotates the ultrasonic wave emitting surface from the angle of the ultrasonic wave emitting surface different from the saved angle information to the angle based on the saved angle information.

Abstract: The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is provided capable of preventing visibility of the ultrasound image from being impaired when piercing a puncture needle. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiments includes an image processor and a display controller. The image processor generates an ultrasound image based on echo signals received by the ultrasound probe. The display controller causes a display unit to display, along with the ultrasound image, a marker which indicates allowable change range for the orientation of the puncture needle defined by the guide mechanism for guiding the puncture needle to the puncture target part.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe is provided that may improves specific desensitization of the frequency observed in the frequency characteristics and/or directional characteristics. The ultrasound probe related to this embodiment comprises an ultrasound transducer 10 and a plurality of acoustic matching layers 20 arranged in layers in the direction of irradiation irradiated from the ultrasound transducer 10, wherein, the plurality of acoustic matching layers 20 form a film and each of the adjacent acoustic impedance of longitudinal waves is substantially the same and has a different Poisson's ratio.

Abstract: In the ultrasound transducer of the present embodiment, front surface electrodes and rear surface electrodes are provided for a plurality of ultrasound vibrators. A circuit board is disposed on the rear surface side of the ultrasound vibrators, and connected to the rear surface electrodes. An electronic circuit is connected to the surface opposite to that of the rear surface electrodes side on the circuit board, and has signal paths to each ultrasound vibrator through the circuit board. A backing material is disposed on the rear surface side of the ultrasound vibrators, and is provided so as to sandwich between it and the ultrasound vibrators the circuit board and the electronic circuit.